That much was established at the 2009 scouting combine when the Detroit Lions quarterback scored a 38 on the Wonderlic test, one of the best among active players.

So it should come as no surprise that Stafford is having little trouble learning the team's new offensive scheme. It's the speed at which he's picking it up that has impressed offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.

"He's really remarkably bright," Lombardi said. "I've heard that he was a smart player, but the speed and ease with which he picks things up has even surprised me, and I had pretty high expectations coming in."

Stafford freely admits the offense is dense, with a heavy amount of new verbiage and an expansive playbook. Through the early stages of the offseason, the entire unit is struggling, but Lombardi is remaining patient with his expectations.

"Listen, I know that these plays work," he said. "I know that the offense that we're developing will work. (At this stage), it's more whether guys are lining up correctly."

Beyond learning the playbook, Stafford is also adjusting to the new coaching staff's approach to his fundamentals. On Wednesday, the quarterback downplayed the changes.

But Lombardi discussed the team's focus on bettering Stafford's footwork.

"(Quarterback coach) Jim Bob (Cooter) is working with him a lot, doing a lot of footwork drills and progression drills," Lombardi said. "Like most quarterbacks, when his feet are right, the passes are usually right."

Lombardi has been pleased with how well Stafford understands where his feet need to be when making the various throws.

"He's still learning a little bit of that, but he's grasping it pretty quickly," Lombardi said.

Stafford is coming off a down season. He completed just 58.5 percent of his passes in 2013, while tossing 19 interceptions. Both marks were his worst since his rookie campaign.

The Lions would like to see Stafford return to his 2011 form, when he completed 63.5 percent of his throws for 5,038 yards and 41 touchdowns, all franchise records.